LeBron James: How Walt Frazier’s comments about him affects the NBA
By Ronald Agers
Damon Jones makes the rounds of ESPN in the defense of LeBron James
Damon Jones made back to back appearances on ESPN’s show “Get Up” in defense of LeBron James and openly criticized Walt Frazier for his comments.
If you listen to the defense that Damon Jones is using right here, he is basically telling you why the Lakers are out of the playoffs and why the locker room is in total disarray. The common argument that any LeBron James apologist will use is stats and the number of minutes being played.
Sure, LeBron James dropped 33 points in a so-called “meaningless” game. But we all know how the game ended. Forget the blocked shot. LeBron James missed two step-back 20 footers and got his shot blocked on a driving layup. Instead of getting back on defense, he argued with the referees looking for a call.
Statistics have nothing to do with setting an example for the team that you are supposed to be leading. This is a huddle where teams get instructions on what is supposed to be executed next.
The players that are not playing at the time should at least be engaged. But this is not about the players for LeBron because 2/3 of this team will be gone anyway. This is about distancing himself from the chaos he created.
Jalen Rose made it clear about what this is all about which makes this defiant act more egregious.
LeBron James is showing total disrespect to Luke Walton and his position as the head coach. Is this shocking? No. Lake Show Life covered this in the first 25 games of the season when it was reported that LeBron James was ignoring Luke Walton’s play calls from the sidelines.
Back then, when the Lakers were winning, it was blown off as “James being James”. Now that the Lakers are in danger of not even winning another game this season, all of his “habits” that Damon Jones is talking about here is being called out.
Those habits are what got James and the Lakers in trouble. In the Eastern Conference, LeBron had the chance to coast and pick it up in the second half of the season. Plus, what gets lost in the mix was the front office always coming through with under the radar moves at the trade deadline to make a difference.
In Miami, it was Pat Riley. In Cleveland, it was David Griffin.
In the Western Conference, LeBron found out that practice would not work and the story became about what the problem was. Walt Frazier just pointed out one of the many problems that are evident.
The frustration is not only with the Lakers and LeBron James folks!